Conducting a reconnaissance survey and an assessment of an oil spill are crucial when responding to accidental oil spills. A survey is the only way to assess the extent of the spill in addition to deciding which areas should be given priority for clean-up. In addition, it helps authorities to decide which techniques and resources are most suitable.

When an oil spill reaches the coastline, reports on how much of the coastline has been polluted and how heavily the coastal sites are affected are very often so inadequate as to be of little use to decision makers.

This guide seeks to present a coastal survey method likely to produce a useable, short and yet complete report that can be used as a basis for filling in an operational coastal report form.